I'm going to begin by updating you on four of the products I tried last time--the Compact Mini, the Mineral Eye Color, the Cheek Color and the Ultimate Mascara.

The Compact Mini is a great system. It can hold three eye shadows and a cheek color on the top level. Under that is a secret compartment for your brushes and sponges. It's perfect for travel. The eye shadows and cheek color don't snap into pre-determined holes, either; the tray is a magnet and you just plop in the colors you want. This means you can actually put six eye shadows in if you skip the blush. I have rosy cheeks, so I don't always use blush. My compact currently has six shadows in it, making it the perfect little travel compact for me.

Speaking of eye shadow, I was able to try a few more of Mary Kay'smineral eye colors. I still like them, but with continued use I've noticed that they don't have the staying power I'd like. The powder blends beautifully, but if I try to apply it for a bolder impact, it sort of smudges all around, and unlike most of my other shadows, I can't use it as an eyeliner without it making a mark on my upper lid. I have, however, enjoyed the bold, glittery colors for blending into a rich smokey eye. I also like the matte beiges and browns for contouring. Using a primer might fix my problems, so I still give the mineral eye color a thumbs-up.

As I said, I don't use cheek color a lot, but if I'm going to use it, I will use Mary Kay's. I like how it goes on. It blends in well and the color I used--Shy Blush--had nice golden tones that don't fight with my already rosy cheeks. It just accents them well.

Since I last reviewed Mary Kay, the Ultimate Mascara has become my only mascara. Seriously, this stuff is amazing. At $15 a tube, it costs a bit more than most drug store brands, but it is still cheaper than most department store brands. It applies beautifully. I just love this stuff. If I could afford to, I would give a tube to everyone I know.

Speaking of things I would give to everyone I know, I'm in love with Mary Kay's Lash Primer. I didn't think anything could make their Ultimate Mascara better, but this did. The primer does just what it says: it gives your mascara a foundation. It also them some added volume. I have a terrible problem with mascara flaking as the day wears on. This solves that problem. It also really helped my lashes hold curl, which is amazing because my thick lashes tend to droop as the day wears on. I even tried the lash primer by itself as a sort of no-color mascara substitute and I loved it. I don't always need full-on mascara, so this gave my lashes the shape and definition I love for a light everyday look.

Because Mary Kay loves me and my lashes, they also sent their Lash Love Mascara. The brush seemed strange at first, but once I got used to it, I really liked how it applied the mascara. I used this with the lash primer and had pretty, well-defined lashes. I don't know if I love it as much as my Ultimate Mascara because I'm still adjusting to the brush, but it's a close second. I also tried the waterproof variety, but I didn't come up against any swimming or crying or rain that day. Maybe I should have done a sappy movie marathon to test it. Still, it wore beautifully. If you don't have Mary Kay's amazing eye makeup remover, you'll never get this stuff off, so I fully believe its claims that it will last through sweat, rain, tears, humidity, and pool and salt water. (By the way, Mary Kay didn't send me their eye makeup remover, it's just the best on the market and one of my absolute beauty must-haves. You should get some. Now.)

I also got to try Mary Kay's Nourishine Plus Lip Gloss in three colors--Cafe Au Lait, Rock 'n' Red and Mango Tango. I have a confession: I hate lipstick. I feel like it always dries out on my lips and wears off funny. When I wear it, I end up with lipstick anxiety, a disorder that forces me to check my lipstick every five seconds. I loved the tinted balm I tried from Mary Kay a year and a half ago, but this gloss is even better. Usually lip gloss is wimpy when it comes to vivid color. You might see some color at first, but if you want real color you have to go with a lipstick or stain. This stuff, though, is the best of both worlds. It's the smooth, soft, shiny feel of lip gloss with a bold punch of color. My mom decided she wanted to try this stuff too, and I believe she took off with my Cafe Au Lait. It is a lovely, mild color for everyday that suited her skin perfectly. I preferred the vivid orange tang of Mango Tango. The orange undertones kept my very pink lips from showing through too much, and the color looked great on my pale skin. I also loved the Rock 'n' Red lip gloss. Red lipstick can be troublesome, so this gloss is a great alternative. It offers up rich color in a smooth gloss that isn't overly sticky. Also, this stuff really made my lips feel very nice. It lives up to the "nourish" in its name.

The good news is that you can try some of these products for yourself! Just tell me the greatest beauty tip you've learned for an opportunity to win a fabulous Mary Kay gift basket!

Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 19 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 12/17/12-12/31/12.
Be sure to visit the Mary Kay page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers' reviews and find more opportunities to win!

I was provided with Mary Kay products to use and review, and was compensated for this post, however all opinions are my own.

Comments

The best beauty tip I know is to wear sunblock. My mom was fanatic about protecting our skin when we were growing up. This was the 80s, and I guess toaster tan was the thing, because kids made fun of me for being pale. But my skin is grateful.

Always washing your face before bed is probably my best beauty tip! So important to remove the grime and makeup of the day so that it's not sitting on your face and sinking into your pores. Daily cleansing can help minimize the appearance of pores and keep your skin fresh and exfoliated.

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